When Dr. Joseph Assini and his wife, Loretta, moved from New Jersey to the Delta almost a decade ago, he brought along his heart to share with the people of his new home.
“Joe was extraordinary that way,” said his brother-in-law, Dr. Raymond Girnys, who with his wife, Barbara, preceded the Assinis in the trek from the Big Apple to practice medicine in Greenwood.
Dr. Assini, 66, a podiatrist, died Friday at Greenwood Leflore Hospital after having been diagnosed with cancer during the last year.
Funeral services will be held in New Jersey, and Wilson & Knight Funeral Home in Greenwood is assisting with arrangements.
Dr. Assini was widely known for his efforts to educate patients and others about diabetes prevention and control, but he was also well-known as a kind, smart man with a friendly, talkative disposition who also was a willing and able listener.
That’s how Dr. Preston Boles, also a Greenwood podiatrist, described his friend and partner in medical practice. Their association began in 2012.
“We developed a good working relationship over the years,” Boles said. “I guess we complemented one another. He helped me with things, and I helped him with things. ... We worked in the hospital in surgery together a lot.”
Boles said he appreciated how Dr. Assini related to patients. “He was a people person, and with that, a lot of patients just gravitated to him. He was a listener, and they liked that about him.”
Dr. Assini’s patients were saddened when they learned he was ill.
“I am sure they are going to be equally as shocked about his death,” Boles said.
“He has left an indelible mark on the patient population here in Greenwood and the doctors here in this area.”
Dr. Assini’s mission extended beyond patients to people in general, particularly through a campaign to reduce the incidences of diabetes in the Delta. Dr. Assini, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, was living in New Jersey before he came to Greenwood.
He had practices in Brooklyn and on Staten Island, where he had seen plenty of cases of diabetes.
But the situation was worse in Mississippi. He told the Commonwealth in 2014 that in his previous 30 years of practice he had seen “gangrene, amputations and blindness.” Then, “I came down to the Delta, and it’s rampant here.” He felt called by God to do something about it by spreading the message that diabetes doesn’t have to lead to catastrophic results.
He spoke to civic clubs and other organizations — anywhere he could — and for a time had a weekly segment on television. He also conducted regular “health chats” at Locus Benedictus, a spirituality retreat center in Greenwood.
At Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, he led a men’s prayer group, and he opened the church on weekday mornings for 7 a.m. Mass. Afterward, Dr. Assini and a group of parishioners would meet at Steven’s Barbecue for breakfast.
He provided transportation to Mass for one of the parishioners, and he often spoke at Mass.
“He was a great preacher of the Gospel. He was inspirational. He had a knack for it. He was never preachy or harsh,” said Nancy Ehret, one of those in the morning Mass group. “He was the greatest talker and the greatest listener.”
Girnys said his brother-in-law also was motivated to move to Greenwood because he wouldn’t have to make the long commutes that living in an urban area required. These ate up hours of his day that he could spend with his wife and family. They have three children and five grandchildren.
Boles said he often heard from Dr. Assini about the progress of his children into adulthood and parenthood. It makes Boles sad that Dr. Assini will not be able to enjoy them longer.
But, Girnys said, Dr. Assini felt God wanted him to come to Greenwood.
“He was a genuine person, and did what his heart told him to do. He already had done a lot of important work and felt coming here was doing God’s work,” Girnys said.
“Joe was special to the community. Whatever he did, he always gave it 150%.” And Girnys said, “He gave his heart to the Delta.”
- Contact Susan Montgomery at smontgomery@gwcommonwealth.com.
